'Magic & Murder' hits the ground running - beats the long-winded intro chapters every time :)Considering the fast pace I was surprised that it took 53 pages for the inevitable lurve interest to appear in the form of Sheriff Granger Nash.Being a cosy, their relationship does not expand beyond snark – but everyone around them can see the sparks.Of course, he's a werewolf, and Ember is a fledgling witch. He's got a chip on his shoulder about her newly-found family, and she's clueless.There's an ove...

Quick InfoStandalone/Cliffhanger?: StandalonePart of a Series?: ----------------------------------Meeting the CharactersEmber RoseMarley Alec HaleGranger Nash----------------------------------What happens?Ember and Marley are whisked away to their new paranormal home of Starry Hollow. They have been unknowingly in hiding from their family since Ember was born. During their first night in town Ember discovers the body of the local Coven's Maiden. Since she is first to find the body and new in tow...

20% Dnf - not for me

I was pleased with the first 6 books. There was a love triangle which interested me and seemed pretty tame on the angst, but Alec refused to offer Ember anything more and she began making a relationship with the sheriff. The problem for me is that Alec goes out of town and comes home with another woman in tow. The other woman mentions that she stands in the doorway in sexy lingerie to temp Alec away from his writing at home. Ember isn't having sex with the sheriff and I find it a double standard...

DisappointingI didn’t like Ember. At all. I missed the fun, I missed the wit, I missed any kindness. I usually LOVE witch cozies! But this one fell short for me. Ember, she was jaded, and had such a negative tone. I did like daughter Marley.Some things happened in the beginning that were so incredibly unrealistic! I didn’t work in the repo business itself, but I did work in a job that had a lot to do with that. And I know, what happened is just not real. It couldn’t have happened IRL because it’...

A solid new seriesI am a huge fan of the Spellbound series, and while this new series is good, so far I don't care for it as much as Spellbound. The main character Ember is fun, but reminds me a bit of Alanis from the Tarot series (Hockensmith). The assortment of supporting characters is well-rounded, but unremarkable. The love triangle is well-established, but it's not fleshed out enough to pick sides yet. But on its own, without any comparison to Spellbound, it will be a fun read for fans of t...

A slightly more gritty fantasy series from Chase (as opposed to her cozy Spellbound series). Possibly because of that, I liked this series better - Ember and her daughter Marley both have spunk and dimension, and the rest of the Rose family are functionally dysfunctional in a way that feels substantial and believable. Which is important, when you're populating your world with unicorns and fairy dust. This isn't epic literature that is going to win prestigious awards, but it's the sort of comfort...

CuteEasy read, cute story, likeable characters. Thus far, no real conflict, especially as Ember looked into a murder amongst the supernatural. Not the smartest thing to do when you're a "new" witch.During a routine repo job, Ember finds herself in a dangerous situation that triggers her magic. Magic she isn't aware she processes that alerts family doesn't know she has. When they appear to save her from the same mobster who just tried to kill her earlier, they whisk her and daughter, Marley, to t...

Brilliant storyI thoroughly enjoyed this story.Ember has no idea who she really is. A widower with a ten year old daughter Marley, she works to keep their meagre life going. Repossession is a thankless job but when one of them becomes violent and sets her truck alight, Ember awakens a new twist to her life.The same man approaches her home and sets it alight. A trio turn up and takes care of the man and the fire. Both Marley, Ember and their dog PP3 are transported to Starry Hollow where she find...

Ember Rose is a woman who had to grow up too fast and suffered much loss in a short period of time. But the thing that keeps her pushing forward and counting her blessings is her daughter, Marley. Working as a repo agent isn't just hard, but dangerous. And one day, Ember sets out to do her job and the guy whose car she takes back isn't just angry...he's psychotic. But with the crazy bad comes the crazy..good? Thanks to circumstances, Ember realizes she has family other than her daughter and they...

This book is a fun read! I enjoyed the characters. I would have like a little more description of the town but maybe that will come in later as I read the other books in the series.

"Trust is earned," I said firmly. "Family or not."And Ember, her 10 going on 40 year old daughter, and their terrier PP3 find out one night while Ember crosses wits with a mobster out to kill her. Making a wish seems to open a trap door in her psyche and out pops a family fully formed, and disks them off to Starry Hollow, a paranormal village where the Rose family, of which she apparently comes from, presents as the most powerful family in town. From just the three of them to this great legacy.....

I enjoyed Magic and Murder a lot, but I feel like it was the same formula that the Spellbound series used. There are different characters and situations, obviously, but the foundation is very much the same. A single woman in her 20s finds herself in a paranormal town when she didn't even know there was such a thing. References Harry Potter seems to make a mess of things and gets involved with a murder.Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but if you've read both the Spellbound seri...

Magic & Murder was a pretty fun and quick book to devour. In it, you will meet Ember and her daughter Marley. Now these two were freaking adorable and I absolutely loved them. Maybe Marley a bit more but they were both very likable. Also they are dog people! I love dogs.. even if I think I might accidently kick a Yorkie like a football. As for the actual mystery? Well, it was all kinds of easy to figure out and very predictable in my eyes. Then again, it is a cozy mystery book and I feel like I

This is a review for the Starry Hollow Witchs books 1 through 6, as I read them all one ofter the other so feel a series review is in place.This series had a different feel to the Spellbound books. For a start Starry Hollow takes it's place in the world at large and time has continued to move forwards. The magic appears to be different dependant on the users and has a slightly different feel to it. Ember (like Emma in Spellbound) does arrive though from the human world and finds out she is a wit...

I really enjoyed the story of this first book. Ember, a widow, and her 10 year old daughter Marley live in New Jersey. Marley works for a repo company. She ends up getting into a situation of life and death and is whisked away to a magical town by family she was unaware of. As she starts to adjust to her new life, she stumbles on the body of a young woman in the forest and emerses herself in solving the mystery. I enjoyed the town and meeting the characters. I however, don't particularly like th...